Explosive bullet



June 7, 1949. v w MOORE r 2,472,118

EXPLOSIVE BULLET Filed Sept. 3, 1941 Wiley TQMnm E Richard N NE15"c11'L Patented June 7, 1949 :YEXBIEQSIVEBUBEEE Wiley-.Kl..-.More, United States Armmthverne,

Okla... andltichar'd N. NelsomBlacmRiversEalls,

" Wis "assignors'tothe United StatesbiAmerica as represented fhy'the Secretary ofWar Aimlicationrseptemhen3, 19m,:S.eriahNo:A0il;3l4

(Granted under the actrof iMar-ch 3, 18, "as

.amended April 30, 19%; scorn. it}. 17 57;)

Claims.

Z'EIhiS invention .relatesftoa'explnsive 'oriincen- -r'rliaryi'bullets. andlmore particularly to ipercussion ii'gniting means forsuch .hullets.

It is an object wof .this .invention to produce igniting means which although simple in opera- ...tion- 'anli having a minimummumber of parts'miill ibe safe in'storage'and-in-handling.

It is a further object of this invention to produce igniting means which can be readily assembled for use in small arms ammunition.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a bullet embodying one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

In the modification of our invention shown in Figure 1 a chamber in the core I containing the main charge 3 terminates short of the front end of the core. An axial flash passage 4 connects the chamber with the front face 5 of the core. Intersecting the flash passage and the front face of the core are angular slots for the accommodation of wedge-like firing members 6 which have a close fit in the slots. The core is secured in the jacket 2 in such a manner as to leave a clearance between the face of the core and the inner surface of the nose of the jacket. Confined between the firing members 6 is a primer cliarge I which may be additionally secured by the application of cement or plastic material. A portion of the main charge extending into the flash passage assists in supporting the primer against setback.

On impact the jacket will be deformed sufficiently to permit the core to drive forward against the nose of the jacket. The firing members normally protruding from the front face of the core will strike the inner surface of the nose of the jacket and the cooperating angular faces of the core slots and the firing members will cause the firing members to be wedged together crushing the priming material between them to ignite the same. The resulting explosion will travel "throughmhe 'fiash'passage to initiate .the

"main charge.

in the'modificatiomof ouriinvention'shown in "Figure? the core l *is-hollow,rformin g aichamber containing aunain charge3. "Connecting this 'chamber with ithe front facet! of the core is an axlal primer :passaget "which :tapers uniformly "to .a diameter "adjacent the charge chamber. Seated inthis 3 passage is a. frusto- -'con-ical ifiring member .9 having "the .same j.taper asthewallof the-passage andextending forward of thefront face ofthe icore. 'Contained'jinthe hoilowedinner end or 'thefiring "member is the priming charge 1. The priming charge may be sealed in place by the application of a drop of nitrocellulose lacquer or the like and in firing of the projectile will be supported against set.- back by engagement with the front end of the main charge 3. The assembled core and firing member are secured in a jacket 2 of conventional design with the inner surface of the nose portion of the core engaging the front end of the firing member.

Upon impact of the bullet with an object the nose of the jacket will be deformed and the firing member driven into the tapered passage. The resultant compression of the firing member fires the priming charge which in turn initiates the main charge.

We claim:

1. A bullet comprising a hollow core, a main charge in said hollow core, a wedge-shaped priming chamber formed in the front end of said core and in communication with the said main charge, a priming charge in said chamber, a wedgeshaped firing unit supported in the front end of the core, interior surfaces of the firing unit in opposed relation with the priming charge between them, a jacket snugly enclosing the core and having means adapted to cause the said surfaces to be wedged together on impact.

2. A bullet comprising a jacket having a nose portion, a core in the jacket having a front face spaced rearwardly from the nose portion of the jacket, means forming an explosive chamber in said core containing a main charge, a wedgeshaped priming chamber in the front end of said core in communication with said explosive chamber, a wedge-shaped firing unit having wedgelike engagement with the walls of the priming chamber and projecting in advance of the core, and a priming charge in said firing unit whereby the firing unit will be wedged together upon the priming charge on impact.

3. A bullet comprising a jacket having a nose portion, a core fixed in said jacket having a front face spaced rearwardly from the nose portion of the jacket, a chamber in said core containing a main charge, a flash passage extending from the chamber to the front face of the core, a cavity formed in the front face of the core whose walls slope rearwardly inwardly to intersect with the fiash passage, firing members complementary to the walls of said cavity and extending beyond the front face of the core, and priming material in said flash passage between said firing members whereby upon impact the nose portion of the jacket will drive the firing members rearwardly in said cavity, whereby the priming material will be ignited by crushing between said firing members.

4. A bullet comprising a jacket having a nose portion, a core in said jacket having a front face spaced rearwardly from the nose portion of the jacket, means forming a chamber in said core containing a main charge, means forming an axial passage from the front face to the chamber, said passage tapering rearwardly to a minimum diameter adjacent the chamber, a frustoconical firing member complementary to the passage and extending beyond the front face of the core in contact with the nose portion if the jacket, means forming a charge receptacle in said firing member, and a priming charge in said receptacle whereby upon impact the nose portion of the jacket will drive the firing member rearwardly into the core and the compression of the firing member will serve to initiate the priming charge.

5. In an explosive bullet, a core having a central axial charge chamber reduced at its forward end to form an igniting chamber opening through the forward end of said core, there being diametrically opposed passageways in said core having forwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces in communication with said igniting chamber and opening through the forward end of said core, a firing member movably mounted in each passageway, primer means positioned between said firing members, and a jacket surrounding said core and having a nose spaced from said members and adapted, on impact, to engage and force said members rearwardly relatively to said core to thereby crush and ignite said primer means.

WILEY T. MOORE. RICHARD N. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 25 444,537 Merriam Jan. 13, 1891 903,980 Imperialli Nov. 17, 1909 1,462,173 Haas July 17, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 0 Number Country Date 309,757 Italy Aug. 15, 1933 

